Dia and the others had waited for around ten minutes at the camp gates when Risti showed up with a middle-aged man in tow.

“That’s my father,” Risti explained.

The first thing that caught Dia’s eye was the bright green accessories that the man wore. A closer inspection revealed that they were all lifestones, and it didn’t end there either. Eight weirdly shaped lifestones orbited his head like some sort of crown, and when assessed with his bright green outfit overall, Dia couldn’t help but find her father very, very blinding.

In fact, looking at the bright green man was a bit painful to the eyes. The red hair he sported definitely wasn’t helping either…

“Hello, Seekers of Life.” The President of the Folders’ Association greeted them with a flourish of his hands. “I am Neo Cadenza. It is an absolute pleasure to meet everyone who has been with my little Risti so far. Thank you for taking care of her.”

“No biggie,” Dia replied. “Risti’s really great. Rather, we should be thanking you for bringing her up…why does this sound like a meet-the-in-laws session?”

Everyone laughed.

“I’m not going to give my daughter to anyone, just putting it out here,” President Cadenza replied. “You’ll have to get past me first.”

“Okaaay.” Schwarz cleared his throat. “Anyway, Risti, does Claud have room?”

“If we share rooms, it’ll be fine,” Risti replied. “He has three unused rooms. We just split them according to gender, I suppose? He doesn’t mind us setting up rooms in the garden too, like the way we did it at the ancient battlefields.”

“Okay. Great. Anywhere to get away from this damn din,” Schwarz muttered. “Let’s go before something else happens. I just saw a bunch of Moonlit soldiers scamper out of the camp, after all.”

“Oh, they went past us,” Risti replied. “Hmm. Maybe something happened in Monsville…I’m just kidding. Don’t look at me this angrily, alright? Sheesh. Anyway, you guys are packed already, so let’s head back again.”

Monsville wasn’t that far from the basecamp, so it really wasn’t an issue for them to manawalk all the way back. More importantly, this meant that Dia didn’t need to hear marching songs and shouts even at night, which was a good enough motivator for her and everyone else to hit the road.

Even Risti, who had just made her way here.

Dia sidled up to Risti shortly after they started their journey to a marching song-less freedom, before asking, “Your dad…”

“He came here to spend some time with me,” Risti replied. “He’s heading for the Trial of Aeons soon, and he’s aiming to get something there.”

“The Trial of Aeons?” Nero, who had been listening in with the others, asked, before looking at the gaudy man who walked in step with Risti. “President Cadenza, you can join the Trial of Aeons?”

The middle-aged man nodded. “Yes. There are slots open to the talented of this era. It’s not just me. Nearly all the important personages in this era are aiming for it too. The Emperor, for instance, has all but retreated from politics. The two old Rulers have passed down their political power too. It’s a mess…which accounts for why the Moons and the Dark are running rampant now.”

“I see.”

Dia nodded her head in understanding too. This was definitely why Emperor Grandis hadn’t bothered to deal with whatever that had occurred in the past year or so. Other than showing up for the new Ruler’s ceremony, Emperor Grandis had focused on something else far more critical.

Like the Last Godsfall.

“Do you know about the other continents too?” Nero asked. “And what they’re doing?”

President Cadenza assessed Nero once, and then nodded. “Supreme Saran has also passed down his power. The Nihal Senate, however…well, I am told that it is a mess. Most of the Senators — the oldest ones — have completely withdrawn from politics, leaving behind the younger generation. I am told that the new Senate is now completely dominated by the younger Senators with less than four mana circuits.”

“I see.” Nero looked at his hands. “And the Church of the Black God…”

“I don’t have an answer for that, regretfully.” Risti’s father smiled gently. “But the Black God and the White God will not be part of the Last Godsfall, so what do you have to fear?”

“It’s not that simple,” Nero replied. “A Blessed of the White God died in Istrel, and I myself was affected by Absolute Domination. Just because my Lord isn’t in the cycle’s end doesn’t mean we will not be affected. While I know that the Lord will protect me, He prefers it if we are more proactive.”

President Cadenza chuckled. “Spoken like a true Holy Son.”

“Still, I wonder…are you bound by Authority?” Nero asked. “I have many, many questions about the Trial of Aeons, and you are someone who may very well have an answer to address my doubts.”

A faint light flickered through President Cadenza’s eyes. “I could answer some questions, yes. However, I believe it prudent to hold such a session once we are in an adequately protected area. While we do have the ability to bypass the laws of this world, there are other things that can listen into our conversations, especially in places as open as this. One must always be careful…”

Dia rubbed her nose. Did Risti pass a certain book to her father? It sure felt like the Association President was channelling his inner Claud for some reason, and she had to hide a smile with the back of her hand. Nonetheless, she did understand where President Cadenza was coming from.

This was valuable information, and considering that everyone here other than Nero didn’t exactly have a divinity protecting them, saying sensitive information out loud could provoke…repercussions. It was indeed better for them to just talk about other things instead, and Dia immediately thought of a good topic.

“President Cadenza,” Dia began, “what was Risti like as a child? She loves you so much that I cannot help but think that she spent her childhood hugging your leg and following behind you obediently.”

“She looks very proud when she talks about you,” Farah added. “I bet she was really obedient back then.”

“What was her first word?” Schwarz asked.

Nero thought for a moment, opened his mouth, but quailed at Risti’s glare. In a smooth motion, he faked a yawn and looked up to the sky, before rubbing his eyes in a very clear demonstration of what was fatigue.

Green accessories shook as Risti’s father laughed. “Excellent questions! My Ris-Ris— uh, Risti — usually followed me when I went out to work. She was so small and adorably cute back then! I don’t know why she picked up Princess Dia’s looks, since I think she’s far more adorable than the princess herself, but she was so cute back then. Everyone had to restrain themselves from poking her cheeks and patting her head.”

“Ris-Ris, huh?” Nero muttered, and Risti glared at him again.

“What was her first word?” Schwarz repeated his question.

“Dad.” A small touch of sorrow appeared on President Cadenza’s face for a brief moment. “I was…happy. She was quite the imp back then. Never wanted to let me go, and always wanted to sleep on my tummy.”

Dia looked at his distant eyes, and then thought about her own family. It had been some time since she returned to see them. Were her parents worried and staying up late, wondering about their absent daughter? How about her brother? Was he feeling guilty that she had been turned into his scapegoat back then, and now completely flustered when she hadn’t shown up for such a long time?

She looked to the south, and then let out a small sigh. It had been nearly two years since Tot’s legend truly reared its head. Any bounties that had been on her had probably long vanished, suppressed by time, her family’s influence and the fact that Princess Dia had completely vanished from public eye. While her aunt had definitely relayed information of her sticking with the Moon Lords, she and the others had even left the Istrel Sovereignty.

Her family’s eyes were unlikely to have a foothold in this place.

Dia looked at the others, who were asking more about Risti’s childhood. Fortunately, none of them were insensitive enough to ask about her mother, who had been absent from the narrative of their little life. Instead, their questions were focused on small details of her life, which were very successful in making Risti blush and glare at the questioner.

Smiling to herself, she turned her attention back to the current question at hand.

“…toy was probably the boomerang. She also liked the binoculars I bought for her. She always liked to look at birds. There’s a room at home dedicated to her sketches too!” President Cadenza puffed out his chest. “Risti is a very talented artist! It’s a shame she wants to join me in the Association, though.”

“Drawing is a hobby, Dad,” Risti replied. “I very much prefer having actual power.”

“Not that again.” He rolled his eyes.

Dia thought about the first time she left on a mission, which was with Risti. The little drawings Risti had made back then were very professional, though…

As they continued towards Monsville, more and more facets of Risti’s childhood were brought up for a passionate recitation by her father. While interesting, Dia could tell that the first thing Risti probably wanted to do when she reached Monsville was to hide under a blanket…